Tipu Sultan, the ruler of Mysore, has been eulogized in history as a “freedom fighter”, benevolent ruler and even a military inventor. The Leftist historians hail him as a just ruler and leave no stone unturned to praise his greatness and valor against the British. Due to the fact that the hands which wrote the history books in our schools belong to Leftist minds, our children are made to believe that Tipu Sultan is exactly as has been portrayed in Sanjay Khan’s (rather aptly titled) 1990-91 TV series ‘The Sword of Tipu Sultan’.

The popular image of Tipu Sultan is that of an emperor fighting against the British.
But the Tipu that we are led to believe and the Tipu which ‘Tiger of Mysore’ was in reality appear to be vastly different. So when Congress government in Karnataka decided to celebrate ‘Tipu Jayanti’ in 2015 there was an obvious uproar.

A Tipu Jayanti event in progress. The Hindu
Many have stated, citing historical records not taught in school or college books, that Tipu was a tyrant of the worst kind. They condemn his actions against the Hindus under his rule – forcible conversion, destruction of temples, etc. – and neighboring kingdoms in the strongest possible words.

A Tipu Jayanti protest. Mangalore Today
Yet the Congress government of Chief Minister K Siddaramaiah chose to go ahead with the veneration of the controversial emperor.

Siddaramaiah at a Tipu eulogy function.
In doing so, the Karnataka government imposed Sec 144 in Kodagu to prevent those protesting against the state-sanctioned celebration of Tipu Sultan. Kodagu is the same region where Tipu displayed his greatest barbarity.
Section 144 imposed in Kodagu ahead of Tipu Jayanti celebration, security tightened: District Administration #Karnataka
— ANI (@ANI) November 10, 2017
The government action was criticized:
Wow! Democracy @INCIndia style. Deny victims of Tipu the democratic right to protest n give lectures on #FoE https://t.co/mYAUzO2eak
— Shefali Vaidya (@ShefVaidya) November 10, 2017
Protests erupted at many places, however. The police had to take many protesters into protective custody.
Siddaramaiah, on the other hand, took his government’s and party’s praise for Tipu to another level. The Karnataka CM hailed Tipu as the “first freedom fighter”. History recognizes Mangal Pandey as India’s first freedom fighter.
Honouring India’s first freedom fighter & the Tiger of Mysore for his bravery & sacrifice in fighting the British. Karnataka salutes his patriotism, courage & military excellence. #TipuJayanti pic.twitter.com/0x3ymK8yKd
— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) November 10, 2017
Obviously, he invited the ire of the social media:
Tipu Sultan wasn’t fighting for India’s freedom. He was fighting for his throne. Mangal Pandey was India’s first freedom fighter. No Jayanti for him? #TipuJayanti
— Shuchi Singh Kalra (@shuchikalra) November 11, 2017
https://t.co/8Uz37qw1sa Tippu is not a Freedom fighter, Karnataka High Court has given verdict in 2016 only. @CMofKarnataka your appeasement politics has reached the epitome. Tax money is misused for political gains.
— Dr.Manu A S ಡಾ||ಮನು (@drmanuas) November 10, 2017
The book is wrong and u studied wrong…. According to CM of KA tipu is 1st. If u got objective select tipu
— Dev Mankari (@imDevMankari) November 10, 2017
Ok Sir. Hopefully CM will not tell that he is the only freedom fighter
— 1BharatShrestBharat (@Sunilkand) November 10, 2017
And Tipu fought britisher to protect his throne just like ISIS fighting Americans. That doesn’t make them hero.
— Makodi Pehalwan (@MakodiPehalwan) November 10, 2017
Karnataka salutes? YUK THOO…I’m a kannadiga, I dont salute that women and child murderer. Please correct the statement to “congress salutes…”
— Saffron Srini (@SuyyTapak) November 10, 2017
One more nail in the coffin of congress regime.
— R.S. Bains (@HerrBains) November 10, 2017
#Tipujayanti Only you n your party may celebrate, don’t mention entire Karnataka n bring shame to us. If this was to happen so seriously, I wonder why didn’t you celebrate his jayanti for first 4 years of ur administration as CM?
— Avinash (@Avi_Kalshetty) November 10, 2017
And while the Karnataka government did everything in its power to celebrate the jayanti, in spite of the backlash from people of the state, social media did not remain a mute spectator.
Some of them pointed out the horrors committed by Tipu Sultan, even though he may have fought the British to save his own kingdom.
I reject that secularism that requires me to celebrate #TipuJayanti. Shame on Karnataka Congress.
— Sonam Mahajan (@AsYouNotWish) November 10, 2017
Tipu Sultan destroyed the Kerala school of Mathematics. I need no further reason to loathe the barbarian. Shame on those who celebrate the man who severed the 6000 year continuity of India’s glorious scientific tradition. https://t.co/z6KG5MRLy6
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Top Most Characters of Mahabharata— Joseph T Noony (@JoeAgneya) November 10, 2017
The victims of that barbarian and Islamist Tipu Sultan aren’t even allowed to protest this damned celebration,while it’s free speech to abuse Hindu Deities and the Indian State. https://t.co/Jieu4EWq0B
— Sai Deepak J (@jsaideepak) November 10, 2017
If the number of Mulism is as much as that of Parsis no one will say Tipu is a freedom fighter, Aurangzeb is a pious Muslim, Kashmiriyat is secular, Pakistan is a friendly state …and so on.. https://t.co/kIhsxCmERS
— S Gurumurthy (@sgurumurthy) November 10, 2017
Read what is written on Tipu Sultan’s sword. #TipuJayanti is an abomination:
“My victorious sabre is lightning for the destruction of the unbelievers. Ali, the Emir of the Faithful, is victorious for my advantage, and moreover, he destroyed the wicked race who were unbelievers” pic.twitter.com/y9ePlDMKoJ— Sanjay Dixit संजय (@Sanjay_Dixit) November 10, 2017
Tipu Sultan was a person who killed 4 lakh Hindus and plundered many temples & cannot be a Hero
RT if u agree..#TipuJayanti #TippuJayantiBeda pic.twitter.com/wG32FvIC8g
— Sourish Mukherjee (@me_sourish) November 10, 2017
Tipu always feared Raman Nair of Travancore. Proudly we belong to Thiruvithamkoor,the great state which defeated tipu twice #TipuJayantiBeda
— Jayashankar (@jaypanicker) November 10, 2017
Kanara Christians to make film on Tipu to show his atrocities on Christians. & Hindus celebrating #TipuJayanti. Thanks to Secularism.
— Anshul Saxena (@AskAnshul) November 10, 2017
Freedom fighter Tipu Sultan used to find the dressing of Lingayat women so offensive that he often ordered the mutilation of their breasts. Karnataka’s Congress govt is celebrating him. #TipuJayanti
Source: https://t.co/TBZUsdYaqM
— Sonam Mahajan (@AsYouNotWish) November 10, 2017
Ban #TipuJayanti, Tipu Sultan didn’t fight against British 4 India but 4 Islamic State of Mysore, A part of Caliphate under Ottoman Empire.
— DG Vanzara (@VanzaraDg) November 11, 2017
If Tipu Sultan is an icon of secularism, then Hindus are 100% justified in rejecting the entire concept of secularism. #TipuJayanti
— Rishi Bagree (@rishibagree) November 10, 2017
Tipu Sultan Butchered & Converted Lakhs Of Innocent Hindus. Celebrating Terrorist #TipuJayanti Just Because He Fought Against Britishers Is Like Pak Supporting Osama-bin Laden Just Because He Was Terrorising USA. 🙏🇮🇳
— Sir Jadeja (@SirJadeja) November 10, 2017
It’s Islamist project to whitewash history of brutality & glorify Tipu Sultan/ Khilji /Aurangzeb.
We need to prevent it, else future generations will think of them as heros & won’t know sacrifices made to fight them.
— Ishkaran S. Bhandari (@Ish_Bhandari) November 9, 2017
Funny to see Liberals defending Tipu Sultan by stating he fought against britishers so we should ignore his genocidal tendencies.
What Next? Celebrate Muhammad Ali Jinnah jayanti as he also fought against britishers and ignore partition and Terrorism?
— Squint Neon (@squintneon) November 10, 2017
As a native of karnataka and an Indian.. middle finger salutes to Tipu Sultan and all his lovers
— TOLUI (@AgentSaffron) November 10, 2017
So what is your opinion? Is Tipu the tyrant as many say or is Siddaramaiah right in calling the Mysore ruler “the first freedom fighter”?